[dropcap]E[/dropcap]ight schools from the eight districts around the island are set to compete in the ninth annual Courts Reading Competition finals on March 14, 2018 at the Bougainvillea Conference Room at the Bay Gardens Hotel. The competition, organised in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, encourages reading whilst assessing the reading fluency, accuracy, enunciation, smoothness, confidence and expression of the participants.
Present at the official launch of the competition on Monday February 19 at the Soufriere Primary School were Miss Angel Caglin, representative from the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development; reigning OECS winner Keshawne Alphonse; this year’s representative from District 8 Arianna Octave; the principal of the Soufriere Primary School, Mrs. Haynes; Courts St. Lucia representatives Ms. Melissa Marius and Ms. Androy Clarke, among others.
Featured speaker and the Unicomer OECS Marketing Senior Supervisor, in her address, expressed the company’s delight to have launched a competition that continues to improve literacy in Saint Lucia: “Part of being a good corporate citizen is displaying and sharing your wealth, knowledge and talent in the countries in which you operate. What we do at Courts is give back; we do so through sponsorships, donations and also through initiatives like the Courts Schools Reading Competition. If you can read, you are building a strong foundation for success; there is nothing in this world that you cannot do if you can read.”
This year vying for the National Reading Championship title are Kishelle Auguste from the Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary School, representing district one; Pearl Cornibert from the Lewis Eucharist SDA Primary School, representing district two; Kyle Joseph from the RC Boys Primary School, representing district three; Namibia Louisy from the La Croix Maingot Combined School, representing district four; Pheobe Smith from the Mon Repos Combined School, representing district five; Kelsey Jn. Charles from Pierrot Combined School, representing district six; Kaali Donaie from the River Doree Combined School, representing district seven, and Arianna Octave from the Soufriere Primary School, representing district eight.
The winner will walk away with $2,000 cash plus $2,000 cash for his/her school. The first runner-up will receive $700 cash and the second runner-up will take home $500 cash. Each participating student will receive gifts, compliments of Courts and its sponsors.
Courts understands the importance of empowering youth because one of its core values is the improvement of the lives of those persons who continue to support the company. Courts Bringing Value Home!
